Presidential office says no final decision on Hormuz Strait deployment
President Lee Jae Myung delivers remarks at a luncheon meeting with Korean residents in Paris at a hotel in the French capital, Tuesday (local time). Yonhap
Korea has not yet made a final decision on whether to deploy troops to the Strait of Hormuz, a presidential official said Wednesday, amid U.S. pressure on Seoul to help secure the waterway.
"The government has not yet finalized its policy and is cautiously assessing it," Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, said in a YouTube interview.
Korea has been deliberating whether to join efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the conflict-stricken strait. It recently sent a team from the defense ministry to the United Arab Emirates to assess the situation.
The move has sparked speculation over a possible South Korean deployment, with a news report claiming Washington had asked Seoul to dispatch troops by November.
"While the government's final policy has yet to be decided, working-level discussions have leaked, leading to media reports that have gone too far," Seong said.
He also noted that President Lee Jae Myung's discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron on efforts to restore freedom of navigation in the strait should not be immediately interpreted as signaling a possible military deployment.
Lee held summit talks with Macron in Paris on Tuesday, where the two sides pledged to work together to restore freedom of navigation in the strait.
"It is a stage where various measures are being carefully reviewed at a working level," he said.
Seong also rejected the idea that the deployment issue could be linked to Seoul's trade negotiations with Washington, saying the decision on whether to deploy troops will be left to Korea's own judgment.